During its regular monthly meeting today, the Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) approved various degree programs; approved recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Committee for the Redesign of Teacher Preparation; and received a list of projects by Mississippi’s public universities participating in The National Center for Academic Transformation’s course redesign initiative.

The Board approved a request made by Alcorn State University, Delta State University, Mississippi University for Women, the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and the University of Southern Mississippi to offer a collaborative Doctor of Nursing Practice degree to prepare advanced practice nurses to provide higher quality healthcare to diverse populations. The collaboration will meet a requirement of the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education to accredit only one advanced practice nursing program at the doctoral level. The Board also approved the following new academic programs: a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology degree at Mississippi State University; a Bachelor of Science in Veterinary Medical Technology degree at Mississippi State University; a Doctor of Philosophy in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences degree at Mississippi State University; a Bachelor of Science in General Studies degree at Mississippi University for Women; a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies degree at the University of Mississippi; a Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Sciences degree at the University of Mississippi Medical Center; and a Doctor of Philosophy in Instructional Technology and Design degree at the University of Southern Mississippi. The Board also deleted nine academic programs, approved a new academic unit, and approved modifications to existing academic units. Click here for complete information.

Dr. Lynn House, IHL’s Assistant Commissioner of Academic and Student Affairs, presented the recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Committee (BRC) for the Redesign of Teacher Preparation. A collaborative venture involving IHL and the Mississippi Department of Education as well as other key stakeholders, the BRC met over the past 18 months and received guidance from national education experts and reviewed research from regional, national, and international studies, and made campus visits to explore exemplary teacher preparation programs. The seven key issues addressed in the recommendations, presented today to both the IHL Board and the Mississippi State Board of Education, included meaningful field experiences; subject content preparation; differentiating instruction; classroom management; recruitment and retention; strong partnerships; and accountability. For more information, click here to view today’s presentation.

In other news, the Board also reviewed the 16 projects of the institutions selected for pilot implementation of The National Center for Academic Transformation’s course redesign initiative. Course redesign allows institutions to improve student learning outcomes; demonstrate improvements through rigorous assessment; reduce costs of instruction; increase consistency across multiple sections; free institutional resources for other purposes; and develop capacity to continue the redesign process. For more information, or to view the list of selected institutional projects, click here.

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees will be held Wednesday and Thursday, October 15 and 16, 2008, on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi.

The Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning governs the public universities in Mississippi, including Alcorn State University; Delta State University; Jackson State University; Mississippi State University including the Mississippi State University Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine; Mississippi University for Women; Mississippi Valley State University; the University of Mississippi including the University of Mississippi Medical Center; and the University of Southern Mississippi.